Sound isolating ventilation panels and methods for manufacturing same

Abstract

A sound isolating ventilation panel is provided. The panel includes: a core assembly having a plurality of horizontal channels; a pair of cartridges having hollow centers and flanking both sides of the core assembly; and a pair of hollow sides flanking the pair of cartridges. Each of the cartridges has a proximally facing side having a plurality of air channel side apertures and a distally facing side comprising a plurality of sound resonator side apertures. A vertically oriented ventilation groove is formed through a front face of a first one of the cartridges and a vertically oriented ventilation groove is formed through a back face of the second one of the cartridges. The ventilation grooves, the hollow centers, the air channel side apertures and the horizontal channels together partially define Z-shaped air channels. The sound resonator side apertures and the hollow sides partially define a plurality of resonators.

1 . A sound isolating ventilation panel comprising:
 a core assembly comprising a plurality of horizontal channels;   a pair of cartridges comprising hollow centers and flanking both sides of the core assembly; and   a pair of hollow sides flanking the pair of cartridges;   wherein each of the cartridges comprises a proximally facing side comprising a plurality of air channel side apertures and a distally facing side comprising a plurality of sound resonator side apertures;   wherein a vertically oriented ventilation groove is formed through a front face of a first one of the cartridges and a vertically oriented ventilation groove is formed through a back face of the second one of the cartridges;   whereby the ventilation grooves, the hollow centers, the air channel side apertures and the horizontal channels together partially define Z-shaped air channels; and   whereby the sound resonator side apertures and the hollow sides partially define a plurality of resonators.   
     
     
         2 . A sound isolating ventilation panel according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a frame comprising a top rail, a bottom rail and two stiles, wherein the pair of cartridges are disposed between the top rail and bottom rail, and wherein the top rail, the bottom rail, the two stiles and the distally facing sides partially define the hollow sides; and 
 a front skin and a back skin, wherein the frame, core assembly and the pair of cartridges are supportively disposed between the front skin and the back skin, and wherein the vertically oriented ventilation groove formed through the front face of the first one of the cartridges is also formed through the front skin, and the vertically oriented ventilation groove formed through the back face of the second one of the cartridges is also formed through the back skin. 
 
     
     
         3 . A sound isolating ventilation panel according to  claim 2  wherein each of the cartridges has a horizontal plane of symmetry and a vertical plane of symmetry. 
     
     
         4 . A sound isolating ventilation panel according to  claim 3  wherein each of the plurality of air channel side apertures align with a corresponding one of the plurality of horizontal channels. 
     
     
         5 . A sound isolating ventilation panel according to  claim 4  wherein the plurality of air channel side apertures are identical and equidistantly spaced, and the plurality of sound resonator side apertures are identical and equidistantly spaced. 
     
     
         6 . A sound isolating ventilation panel according to  claim 5  wherein the plurality of air channel side apertures are larger than and fewer in number than the plurality of sound resonator side apertures. 
     
     
         7 . A sound isolating ventilation panel according to  claim 6  wherein the plurality of air channel side apertures are arranged linearly in series, and wherein the plurality of sound resonator side apertures are arranged linearly in series. 
     
     
         8 . A sound isolating ventilation panel according to  claim 7  wherein each space between the air channel side apertures is at least one inch, wherein each of the cartridges extend at least 80%, or at least 90% of a height of the panel, wherein the horizontal channels are at least partially formed from folded corrugated fiberboard, wherein interior surfaces of the horizontal channels comprise sound absorbing linings of a porous, dissipative material such as open cell foam, mineral wool or fiberglass, wherein the core assembly occupies substantially all of the space between the pair of cartridges, wherein the core assembly comprises 6 to 24 adjacently arranged horizontal channels, wherein walls between adjacent horizontal channels comprise a plurality of apertures to increase exposed surface area of sound absorbing linings, wherein the hollow sides comprise porous, dissipative sound absorbing material. 
     
     
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         15 . canceled 
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing a sound isolating ventilation panel comprising:
 a. providing a frame comprising a top rail, a bottom rail and two stiles;   b. providing a core assembly comprising a plurality of horizontal channels;   c. providing a pair of cartridges comprising hollow centers, the cartridges positioned between the top rail and the bottom rail and flanking both sides of the core assembly, wherein each of the cartridges comprises a proximally facing side comprising a plurality of air channel side apertures aligned with the plurality of horizontal channels, and a distally facing side comprising a plurality of sound resonator side apertures;   d. providing a front skin and a back skin, whereby the sound resonator side apertures and a space between the stiles, the distally facing side and the front and back skins define resonators;   e. forming a vertically oriented ventilation groove through the front skin and a front face of a first one of the cartridges, and forming a vertically oriented ventilation groove through the back skin and a back face of the second one of the cartridges, whereby the ventilation grooves, the hollow centers, the air channel side apertures and the horizontal channels together define Z-shaped air channels.   
     
     
         17 . A method of manufacturing a sound isolating ventilation panel according to  claim 16 , wherein step c. further comprises inserting an insert into each of the cartridges, wherein the insert comprises blocking portions and receiving portions, the blocking portions for substantially blocking off the air channel side apertures and sound resonator side apertures from the receiving portions which are configured to receive dust and debris generated by step e. regardless of whether the vertically oriented ventilation grooves are formed in the front or back of the cartridge, and wherein after step e. the insert is removed from the cartridges through the vertically oriented ventilation grooves. 
     
     
         18 . A method of manufacturing a sound isolating ventilation panel according to  claim 17 , wherein prior to step c. the proximally facing side and the distally facing side are manufactured by: (i) making cuts in a rectangular block having the length of the cartridges, (ii) stacking the cut blocks, and (iii) boring air channel side apertures or sound resonator side apertures through the stacked blocks. 
     
     
         19 . A method of manufacturing a sound isolating ventilation panel according to  claim 17 , wherein prior to step c. the proximally facing side and the distally facing side are manufactured by: (i) boring slots sized to the air channel side apertures or the sound resonator side apertures through an elongated rectangular block having the length of the cartridges; (ii) making joinery profile cuts in the bored elongated rectangular block, (iii) ripping the profiled and bored elongated block into individual proximally facing sides or distally facing sides. 
     
     
         20 . A method of manufacturing a sound isolating ventilation panel according to  claim 17 , wherein prior to step c. the proximally facing side and the distally facing side are manufactured by: (i) providing two sheets each having the length of the cartridges; sandwiching spaced apart ribs between the sheets, the spacing of the ribs matching the dimensions of the air channel side apertures or the sound resonator side apertures; and (ii) cutting the sheets into strips of the proximally facing sides or the distally facing sides. 
     
     
         21 . A method of manufacturing a sound isolating ventilation panel according to  claim 17 , wherein prior to step c. the cartridges are manufactured by: (i) gluing the proximally facing side, the distally facing side, and two backers together to form a cartridge; (ii) stacking a plurality of cartridges from step (i); and (iii) pressing against the stack of cartridges in vertical and/or horizontal directions. 
     
     
         22 . A cartridge for a sound isolating ventilation panel, the cartridge comprising:
 a hollow center;   a front face;   a back face opposite the front face;   a proximally facing side comprising a plurality of air channel side apertures;   a distally facing side comprising a plurality of sound resonator side apertures; and   a vertically oriented ventilation groove is formed through the front face or the back face.   
     
     
         23 . A cartridge according to  claim 22  comprising a horizontal plane of symmetry and a vertical plane of symmetry. 
     
     
         24 . A cartridge according to  claim 23  wherein the plurality of air channel side apertures are identical and equidistantly spaced, and the plurality of sound resonator side apertures are identical and equidistantly spaced. 
     
     
         25 . A cartridge according to  24  wherein the plurality of air channel side apertures are larger than and fewer in number than the plurality of sound resonator side apertures, wherein the plurality of air channel side apertures are arranged linearly in series, and wherein the plurality of sound resonator side apertures are arranged linearly in series, wherein each space between the air channel side apertures is at least one inch. 
     
     
         26 . canceled 
     
     
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         28 . A core component for a sound isolating ventilation panel, the core component comprising a single corrugated fiberboard sheet folded to define two channels having rectangular cross sections. 
     
     
         29 . The core component of  claim 28  wherein the sheet comprises a plurality of linearly arranged slots at a mid portion of the sheet and corresponding plurality of tabs at an end of the sheet for engaging the slots to facilitate forming at least one of the channels, wherein the two channels are equally sized. 
     
     
         30 . canceled